Melbourne, regional Victoria shaken by ‘earthquake’ as New South Wales experiences tremors

A 5.8 magnitude earthquake rocked Melbourne and demolished part of a building on famous Chapel Street, with tremors being felt as far as New South Wales and Tasmania.

The epicenter of the quake was 10 km deep near Mansfield in eastern Victoria at 9:15 a.m. Wednesday morning, according to Geoscience Australia.

The earthquake was followed by a 4.0 magnitude aftershock 18 minutes later.

The earthquake is the largest Victoria has seen since European settlement (1834) and there will be aftershocks, a seismologist told ABC Radio Melbourne.

Images have emerged of part of a collapsed Bettys Burgers fast food restaurant on Chapel St in Windsor, in downtown Melbourne.

The burger chain later said in a statement that there was no one inside the building at the time and all of its staff were safe.

Tremor was felt as far as Tasmania, South Australia and parts of Sydney.

Damage to the exterior of Betty’s Burgers on Chapel Street in Windsor following an earthquake

Office and apartment buildings across Melbourne have been evacuated, with owners closer to the Mansfield epicenter reporting damage to their properties.

Victorian Prime Minister Daniel Andrews made the first official reaction to the earthquake, tweeting at 9.47am: “Yes, it was an earthquake”.

Prime Minister Scott Morrison then held a press conference in Washington DC – where he is participating in the Quad Leaders Summit – to reveal that the “rare event” had so far caused no injuries.

“These are very rare occurrences in Australia and I’m sure it would have bothered people, especially in the most immediate affected area,†he said.

“The agencies at the state government level are there, respond, and the federal government will provide the necessary support.”

Mr Morrison said he was in “textual contact” with the Victorian leader about the quake.

An owner near Leongatha, in southern Gippsland, who was in the bathroom when the earthquake hit, said the outside sound sounded like a “jet engine” and the screen glass shower was shaking.

Pictured: Damage to Betty’s Burgers restaurant. The earthquake was reported in Victoria and tremors were felt across Melbourne and as far away as Canberra and Sydney

“I grabbed my granddaughter and hugged her tight,†the woman said. “It was very scary.

“The whole world just shook,†said another Victorian.

Alice Murphy, a resident of Fitzroy two miles north of Melbourne’s CBD, was working on her laptop when the tremors started.

The epicenter of the quake was in Mansfield, in eastern Victoria, but the shockwaves were felt as far south as Tasmania and as far north as New South Wales.

Prime Minister Scott Morrison faced a press conference in Washington DC – where he is attending the Quad Leaders Summit – to reveal that the “rare” earthquake has so far caused no injuries.

Melbourne residents walk past debris in the city on Wednesday after the earthquake, pictured to the right of a police car in Windsor in the city center in the aftermath of the earthquake

“For a second I thought it was a passing streetcar or a huge gust of wind, but then the walls were shaking and the candles bouncing off the fireplace,†she said.

“It went on for about 20 seconds and then everyone spilled out onto the street to make sure they hadn’t imagined it!”

A woman named Elizabeth from east Melbourne was on a mission when the earthquake struck.

“All the windows were shaking, I shouted for the children to come and stand in a doorway, but our eight year old ran outside to see if any chasms opened,” she said. .

“Fortunately, that didn’t happen. “

Social media users in Melbourne reacted with shock after the earthquake that rocked the Victorian capital

New Zealander Colin, who lives in Ferntree Gully in Melbourne, said the quake was as powerful as the 2011 magnitude 6.2 earthquake in Christchurch which caused extensive damage across the city and killed 185 people.

“About 30 seconds, it lasted. I didn’t know if I should run outside or upstairs, â€he told Newstalk ZB.

“I’m in a solid concrete house, so it really shook. It rocked as much as I felt it in Christchurch.

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